Growing Pains
by Jen Kollic
Summary: Fair warning: this is a Sugarless Gumdrops fic (though not quite in the way you'd expect) and contains Bubbline and giant spoilers for 'Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW' Apologies for the very vague summary, but I'm trying to avoid Explore the Dungeon spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Adventure Time belongs to Pendleton Ward/Cartoon Network. Issabell belongs to Kat (just-another-adventurer on Tumblr, character blog is izzy-the-shape-shifter and contains adorable art) Thanks to Rinney for proof-reading.

**A/N:**Yeah, so this is what I've been doing instead of 'Phlogiston Theory' but I promise I will be updating that soon. This was written for Kat on Tumblr and is a backstory for her character Izzy. Contains giant spoilers for 'Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW!' and also follows on from 'Explored the Dungeon and Now we Know' which I recommend reading first. SUGARLESS GUMDROP TIME!

* * *

Things finally seemed to be returning to normal in the ancient labs far below the Candy Kingdom. It had been six months since Princess Bubblegum had sent her friends on that ill-fated mission to investigate the Royal Dungeons, and now the old science facility had been completely sealed off from the rest of the sprawling subterranean complex to ensure there would be no further accidents. Bubblegum might have felt guilty about isolating her parents like that, but she already knew they didn't get lonely; they didn't even grasp the concept. They would be happy enough left to converse with themselves, the only reason they'd gone into the rest of the underground had been vague curiosity and boredom.

The elevator was the only way to access the lowest floors now, and since Marceline was the only other person who knew about it that meant the gum creature was safe from any further mistaken attacks. Princess Bubblegum had just stepped out of it into the corridor leading to the main lab, and saw that pink strands of gum now criss-crossed the walls, ceiling and floor like veins and arteries, just as they'd done previously. But there were no faces on any of them, indicating that her parents' attention was elsewhere.

Approaching the double doors at the end of the corridor, Bubblegum braced herself for the inevitable seizing and hard squeezing that was sure to follow... but this time nothing happened, as if her parents hadn't even noticed her presence. Her forehead creased with worry, had they maybe become dormant after all the stress and trauma of having their physical form disrupted and reformed? It wasn't unusual for them to sleep for a decade or two when they felt so inclined, but they had always woken up when she'd visited before.

Then the princess started slightly as she heard an unusual noise, a muffled high-pitched yip that sounded almost like a puppy. Had something got down here after all and harmed her parents in some way? Pushing the door open, Bubblegum entered the main lab with her fists clenched, ready to fight whatever was hurting her parents... and unfortunately no longer braced for the gummy tentacle which snatched her into the air as it coiled around her with crushing force.

_"Bonnie!"_ As always, the gum creature sounded glad to see her, the tendril slamming her into its main mass at the far end of the chamber with what would have been brutal force for anyone less resilient. _"It's good to see you sweetheart,"_ her parents continued in their echoing voice as she fought for breath. _"We've made something for you and... oh yes, ribs."_ The tendril deposited her gently in the midst of the soft mass of gum, patting her back as she gasped for breath_. "Sorry honey, we never do remember that."_

"I know," Bubblegum chuckled breathlessly, patting the silky-smooth surface beneath her with affection. "Don't worry, I'm fine." She struggled into a sitting position, the yielding gum making it hard to find her balance, but it shaped itself around her until she was seated comfortably, supported effortlessly by its bulk. "So, you made something for me?" The princess was curious, she wasn't entirely sure what her parents could have come up with down here, unless… "Is it the little brother I wanted when I was five? Because if it is, it's certainly taken long enough…"

Her parents laughed at the suggestion, the sound resonating softly like rainfall on a hollow tree. _"No, not a sibling, Bonnie. We only ever managed to bud off once. But you're close though…"_

Bubblegum was about to make another guess, her curiosity piqued now, and then she heard that strange yipping sound again. It was much clearer now, and it was definitely an animal. Had her parents managed to trap one of the creatures that had been roaming the lower levels of the dungeon? "What IS that?" the princess asked, sliding down the creature's side to the floor. The noise seemed to have come from one side, and Bubblegum headed towards it.

_"You'll see,"_ the gum creature smiled, watching her expectantly. _"Don't scare her; she's only a few hours old."_

"Her?" Bubblegum's eyes widened as she realised that a darker part of what she'd taken to be part of her parents' main form wasn't actually in shadow. It was actually a different colour, a dusky purple instead of bubblegum pink, and as she got closer she saw that it wasn't part of her parents at all. It was a separate, oval blob that felt hard to the touch, its surface marred with cracks. She'd seen something like it before of course, nearly a thousand years ago when her current body had emerged from one. What in Glob's name had they done?

Taking a few steps closer, Bubblegum leaned over the purple cocoon cautiously. But the cracks deepened and widened into a yawning hole in its side from which deep violet goo was still dripping slowly. Whatever had been in there must have emerged, though she still didn't see it. More droplets of the dark purple ooze had formed a trail leading off to one side but it had been smeared and smudged so the princess couldn't tell what kind of creature had made the tracks.

Then, as she heard another excited yip, Bubblegum saw a flash of black amongst a lattice of pink tendrils that had formed between the wall and one of the old lab consoles. Something furry was moving amongst the strands of gum, and as Bubblegum stared a furry tail and hind legs emerged.

It was a wolf cub, barely larger than a cat, and it was growling squeakily as it worried at a length of gum it had clamped between its jaws. The tiny creature managed to tug the tendril all the way out into the open before it noticed Bubblegum, then released it with a startled yip as it looked up at her with dark pink eyes.

Sinking down to her knees, more in shock than anything else, the princess reached out towards the little animal, careful not to make any sudden moves. It eyed her suspiciously for a moment, then stretched forwards to sniff at her outstretched palm. Whatever it smelled it seemed to like, as it immediately thrust a cold nose into Bubblegum's hand and licked her fingers while its tail wagged frantically.

"You made me a puppy?" the princess giggled as she gently lifted the pup into her arms. It wriggled excitedly in her grasp, its black fur fluffy and soft as down, and burrowed into the crook of her arm then turned about in an awkward circle to poke its head out. "It's very cute, but how in the math did you make it?"

_"Well, she's not really a puppy, she just seems to like that form_." The face on the gum creature's central mass had swivelled around to look down at Bubblegum and the pup with warm parental affection. _"Give her a moment and she'll probably turn back now that she's seen you."_

"Turn back?" Bubblegum frowned in confusion. I don't under- WHAT THE BJORK?!" She was no longer holding a wolf pup. Now she was holding a baby. A baby girl with grey skin, surprisingly thick black hair, and tiny ivory needlepoints starting to emerge from toothless gums. At any other time the princess would have assumed this was one of Marceline's pranks - that the baby was in fact Marceline. But while the vampire could shapeshift, she couldn't change her age. "Mom, Dad…" Bubblegum began nervously, her voice strained. "Exactly where did she come from?"

_"We made her for you," _her parents explained helpfully, looking down at the little girl fondly. _"But she's not a sibling. We used genetic material from you and Marceline to create her, so she's your daughter."_

Bubblegum's mouth dropped open in shock, her mind going blank. The little girl in her lap, who looked about a year old even if her age was currently measured in hours, gurgled up at her happily. Although the rational side of her brain was currently struggling to process what she'd just heard, the analytical side was still functioning perfectly as the princess looked down at the infant. The girl's skin was grey, but not an exact match to Marceline's; instead of pale blue-grey there was definite lavender tint there. Her hair was similar, not the same raven black as the vampire's flowing mane, it shone purple where Marceline's shone blue. And her eyes. The deep magenta shade was extremely familiar now that Bubblegum looked at them closely. She saw an identical pair in the mirror every morning.

"…you… I… what…" the princess finally managed to stammer as the tiny girl appeared to grow bored and clambered off her lap and back to the floor where she immediately transformed back into a wolf pup and scampered off across the lab to attack another gum tendril. "I don't… HOW?!"

_"Well, you did say that you wouldn't be able to merge your biomass with Marceline's to have babies like we did with you,"_ her parents explained, with the same casual tone that suggested they didn't see anything questionable about the situation. _"And there was plenty of her genetic material lying around down here after that fight so we just gathered some up and…"_

"Then how is she mine as well?" Bubblegum demanded, closing her eyes as she massaged her temples. Maybe this whole thing was just some crazy hallucination caused by overwork. Or maybe Marceline had been right and going without sleep for ninety-four hours really did cause psychotic episodes. "Did you just – oh Glob this is so many levels of wrong – did you just mix Marceline's genes with your own?"

_"Of course not!"_ The gum creature sounded horrified by the very suggestion. _"That would be awful!" _The massive pink form quivered, as if it was shuddering at the thought. _"Well, we did make her in a similar manner to how we made you, but the genetic material was from you and Marceline."_

Bubblegum wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer to her next question but asked anyway. "And… exactly how did you get my genetic material? That's not the kind of thing I leave lying around…"

_"Yes it is,"_ the creature replied with a chuckle, lifting the remnants of the purple gum cocoon and hauling it over to where Bubblegum was still kneeling on the floor. _"Remember when you came out of something just like this? Well, you left this stuff everywhere while you were trying to figure out how legs work…"_ A slender pink tentacle dipped into the dregs of violet ooze that were still left in the gummy shell. _"We kept some for sentimental reasons. Of course, it was pink instead of purple. But it turned purple after we mixed it with the genetic serum we made from Marceline's DNA." _

"And… and that just worked?" The purely scientific side of Bubblegum's brain was now taking an interest, even if the rational side was still screaming silently. It must have been similar to how her own recipe for creating life worked, only her parents had done it without access to any of the chemicals or equipment she had available. Maybe she had seriously underestimated the life-giving properties of the amniotic ooze she'd been suspended in while forming her humanoid body.

_"It seemed to, yes. It formed a shell just like you did; spent a few months growing, then she broke out this morning."_ Bubblegum's parents smiled fondly at the wolf pup that was currently gnawing on part of them as ferociously as it could with only two emergent fangs. _"We're not sure how she learned to turn into a wolf; we're guessing that's something to do with Marceline's genes."_

The princess' expression twisted wryly at the thought, a combination of human, vampire and demon DNA mixed with her own was sure to have some interesting results. Bubblegum knew that Marceline had only been able to shapeshift after becoming a vampire, but vampirism wasn't genetic as far as she was aware. She opened her mouth to call the pup over, then realised a very important point. "Does she have a name?" she asked, settling for clapping her hands together instead. The wolf pup's head jerked up at the sound, tiny ears perking, and it released the tendril of gum it was chewing on and galloped over to her. Its paws skittered and slid on the smooth tiled floor; instead of jumping onto her lap as it had intended, the little wolf lost its balance, fell over and skidded into her knees instead. It didn't seem particularly perturbed by this though, and yipped at the princess as it lay on its back, all four paws waving up at her.

_"No, she doesn't have a name yet."_ The gum creature seemed bewildered by the question. _"Once she's old enough to decide on one she'll tell you what it is, that's what you did after all. Twice as we recall…"_

Well, that answered that. Bubblegum couldn't really argue the point, since she had decided to name herself Princess Bubblegum to begin with. Bonnibel had been later. At her knees, the wolf pup made an odd sound that sounded half like a growl and half like a sneeze, and when the princess looked down it had become a baby girl once more. Bubblegum lifted her gently, noticing for the first time that her ears were pointed like Marceline's. Oh Grod, Marceline. The princess didn't even what to think about what the vampire's reaction would be when she returned with their biological offspring.

Leaving the little girl down here was out of the question of course. She was certainly unplanned – given that both of her genetic parents were female and one was undead it was hard for her to be otherwise – but that certainly didn't mean she was unwanted. Now that the shock was wearing off somewhat, Bubblegum found that she was warming to the idea as she watched the little girl snuggle against her with a tiny thumb in her mouth. She just hoped that Marceline would feel the same.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Adventure Time belongs to Pendleton Ward/Cartoon Network. Issabell belongs to Kat (just-another-adventurer on Tumblr, character blog is izzy-the-shape-shifter and contains adorable art) Thanks to Rinney for proof-reading.

* * *

By the time the elevator reached its destination in the basement of the Candy Castle, Princess Bubblegum was holding a wolf pup again. The little girl seemed to like that form a lot, though that could have been because she was cold in her humanoid form. While creating a granddaughter had been doable for the sentient gum, creating clothes for her was a lot harder. Bubblegum was glad they hadn't tried; the last thing she needed now was an outbreak of rebellious living clothing.

A cursory examination of the infant had revealed that, unlike Marceline, she was very much alive and warm. That wasn't too surprising. Marceline had been alive up until she'd become a vampire and Bubblegum wasn't certain how much vampirism would have affected her genes. She knew that it wasn't a genetic trait - vampires were made, not born - but then again when was the last time a vampire had reproduced? Probably never since being dead didn't exactly have a beneficial effect on human fertility. And she'd never heard of a vampire being cloned. If that was possible then surely there would be more of them.

The pup in the princess' arms whined softly as she stroked behind its ears absently, its small tail beating wildly against her chest as it wagged. It yapped and gummed at Bubblegum's fingers as she shifted her hand to scratch beneath its chin, its mouth warm and wet and its two teeth no more than blunt pinpricks against her skin. She was probably hungry, which might cause problems as Bubblegum wasn't sure if she would eat food like a candy person, or drink red like Marceline. Hopefully there were still strawberries in the kitchen if Marceline hadn't drained them all already.

And then there was the issue of Marceline herself. Bubblegum couldn't hide this from her, even if she'd wanted to. The vampire had to know. Bubblegum was just more than a little nervous at the thought of how she'd react. Marceline and responsibility went together about as well as caesium and water, and if she completely refused to have anything to do with their unexpected offspring? Well, in that case Bubblegum couldn't really blame her. After all, if she hadn't introduced the vampire to her parents then this probably wouldn't have happened. Then again, there was always the possibility that Marceline might not react badly - at least after she'd gotten over the shock anyway. The two of them had never discussed having children – for obvious reasons – but that didn't necessarily mean that they couldn't adapt to having one.

"You are adorable," Bubblegum said, half to herself as she extricated her hand from the pup's mouth and climbed the stairs leading to the main hall. "So that's something… but there's really no easy way to tell your girlfriend 'hey my parents got impatient about the whole grandchildren thing and made us a baby', is there?" The little wolf only yipped in response, wriggling around to lie on its back in her arms. It looked up at her with those familiar pink eyes, exposing a matching tongue as it yawned, comically oversized paws reaching upwards as it stretched. "I guess you've had an exciting day," the princess chuckled softly. "Though it's not like mine's been boring either… I thought the most interesting part would be seeing Marceline tonight."

The wolf pup made a soft, contented noise as Bubblegum rubbed its fluffy stomach, too sleepy to do more that make a few halfhearted nips at her fingers. It stretched again, then the princess was holding a baby once more. She wasn't sure whether that was better or worse now that she was about to leave the secret passage that led to the elevator. A wolf pup would have raised eyebrows, but a baby would raise awkward questions instead. Oh well, she reflected as she pressed a button on the wall. If she just strode onwards looking like she wasn't about to stop for anyone then the castle staff would leave her alone. Except for Peppermint Butler of course.

The wall panel which slid open was hidden by a tapestry, and the princess listened carefully for anyone passing. But the corridor was silent, so she quickly pushed the fabric aside and stepped out into the hallway as the secret panel closed soundlessly behind her. Bubblegum immediately began walking with a rapid, purposeful pace and an expression that plainly indicated that she didn't want to be disturbed. She had decided to head for her room instead of the labs, while she was extremely curious about the infant's genetic structure she had also decided that it was too early to start diagnostics. Maybe tomorrow instead, when the little girl was less tired. And she still needed to find clothes for her and other supplies.

The only candy people that Bubblegum saw as she climbed the stairs then headed along another corridor towards her bedroom did look extremely curious at the sight of their princess carrying a baby that bore a strong resemblance to Marceline. But one look at her face was enough to assure them that it was safer not to ask, so she reached her room without having to answer any awkward questions. Closing the door behind herself, she carried the little girl over to the bed and gently set her down on the pillows. The infant barely noticed, already half asleep, and was drowsing even before Bubblegum had pulled the blanket up over her.

A quick glance at the clock above the bed told the princess that she had roughly two hours until Marceline arrived. Punctuality was not the vampire's strong point though: she could easily be early or late depending on her mood. That didn't give Bubblegum long to find an easy way to explain the situation. Then again, that also assumed that there WAS an easy way…

o.o.o.o.o

"Hey Bon', how're things?" Dusk was just starting to fall as Marceline floated through Princess Bubblegum's bedroom window, shrugging off the hood she'd pulled up to protect her from the fading sunlight. At first the room appeared to be empty, though the bed was unmade – extremely odd for Bonnie – and there were strange noises coming from the other side. It sounded vaguely like an unhappy kitten, then Marceline saw a gleam of gold as Bubblegum raised her head from where she was kneeling on the floor.

"No, bad girl!" The princess hadn't noticed Marceline yet, her attention fixed on something on the floor in front of her. "You need to put this on; you are not running around this castle naked. What would people think if- oh come on!" Straightening up, Bubblegum caught sight of the vampire but before Marceline could say anything the princess spoke first as she got to her feet. "Marceline, catch her before she runs off!"

The vampire was about to ask for a few more details, when a small black wolf pup raced around the corner of the bed, dragging a pink smock which was tangled around its tail. Before it could even catch sight of Marceline, the vampire had darted down to catch the little animal in both arms as it yelped with surprise. It tried to bite her as she removed the smock from its tail, but it barely had any teeth to speak of and Marceline only giggled as she ruffled its ears. "When did you get a wolf pup?" she asked Bubblegum curiously as the princess came over to stand beside her. The little animal had stopped snapping at her hands once it realised she'd taken the smock off it instead of trying to put it on, and was now whining softly as it nuzzled at her hands with a tiny cold nose. "And why the glob were you trying to put clothes on the poor little thing?"

To Marceline's surprise, Bubblegum didn't immediately retort with a snappy answer. Glancing at the princess, the vampire saw that she actually looked lost for words, which was even stranger, and her gaze was fixed on the wolf pup. The small creature had settled comfortably in the crook of Marceline's arm and was looking up at her curiously with wide pink eyes… that looked exactly like Bonnie's. "Did you make this little guy?" Marceline asked as she scratched its chin. "I mean, he doesn't look anything like candy… and he's got fur."

"Actually it's a she," Bubblegum replied. "And no, I didn't make her, but it's kind of a long story and… well… you'll probably see for yourself any minute now." The princess sighed heavily. "Just don't drop her when she changes, okay?"

"What do you mean 'when she changes'?" Marceline cast a sceptical look towards the princess, wondering exactly what she was up to. "Is this a baby Whywolf you're trying to domesticate or some- HOLY GROD!" In spite of Bubblegum's warning, Marceline very nearly did drop what was now a baby instead of a wolf pup, only just managing to stop herself in time.

"Yeah, that was my first reaction too," Bubblegum said sympathetically.

"Bonnie, why is this a baby?" The vampire's voice was now several octaves higher, her red eyes huge as she stared down at the little girl she was holding. "Why does she look like me? Why does she have your eyes? What did you DO, Bonnibel?! I don't think I'm okay with this…"

"Uhm… maybe you should sit down while I explain things, Marcy." Bubblegum took a seat on the side of her bed, patting the space beside her. "It's kinda complicated, but it totally is NOT my fault. Mostly."

Walking stiffly over to the bed, the gurgling baby held out rigidly at arms' length, Marceline half-sat and half-collapsed beside the princess. "You made her, didn't you?" the vampire asked accusingly, but Bubblegum shook her head, surprisingly calmly.

"No. My parents did." The princess didn't see any point in trying to sugar-coat her explanation, and Marceline would appreciate the unvarnished truth. When she stopped being in shock anyway. "And before you ask, I didn't know about this either. I visited them earlier today and they were like 'hey sweetheart we made you something' and boom, now we have a child. Because yes, she is biologically ours. Well, I won't know that for certain until I run some tests, but…"

"…that is just so many levels of wrong…" Marceline uttered in a strangled squeak, staring at the little girl who had grabbed a length of her hair and was now gnawing on it happily.

"Yeah, I know, I said that too," Bubblegum said understandingly. "Also, give her here; you're going to drop her if you keep holding her like that…" The vampire didn't resist as Bubblegum deftly plucked the infant from her grasp and set her on her lap instead. The little girl immediately released Marceline's hair and caught hold of Bubblegum's instead, stretching and squeezing it between small hands as she giggled.

"I thought you were exaggerating when you said they'd been bugging you about grandchildren!" Although she was no longer holding the baby, Marceline's arms were still held out stiffly in front of her as if they had been frozen. The vampire was still staring fixedly at the place where the infant had been as well, as if her brain hadn't quite registered that Bubblegum had taken her. "They just made one because they wanted one? How did they even do that?!"

"I think they genuinely thought they were being helpful," the princess explained, both arms wrapped around the little girl to keep her warm. "Because I told them we couldn't, uh, have babies the same way they did. So they made one for us. And it totally wasn't my fault!" she repeated defensively as Marceline turned her head to glare at her accusingly. "I didn't know they knew so much about creating life! OR that they had access to my genetic material! Or that they had collected some of yours while you were in the dungeon!" Bubblegum paused, looking slightly awkward as she went on. "Though… I probably shouldn't have left some of my books and research notes down there. But I didn't know they'd do this!"

Marceline took a long, deep breath that she didn't need and exhaled it slowly. Breathing was something she hadn't required for centuries, but normally the action would still have calmed her somewhat. Unfortunately this was hardly a normal situation. Far from it. "So, what now?" she asked as evenly as she could manage. "This isn't exactly something I've planned for."

"Well, neither have I," Bubblegum's response was soothing rather than sharp. "And this isn't your fault, or your responsibility. I know that. But…" She sighed as she looked down at the little girl who was now chewing enthusiastically on her hair as if it was a teething ring. "I guess we'll just have to adapt. It's not like we're actually teenagers after all. And technically I already have like a hundred kids, so what's one more?"

There was silence for a minute as Marceline looked down at the infant, then at Bubblegum, her expression unreadable. Guessing what she was thinking, the princess reached out to take her hand and squeeze it gently.

"Look, if you can't deal with this right now then it's okay," Bubblegum said comfortingly. "I mean, I'm kinda used to being a mom so this isn't as weird for me." The princess paused, then corrected herself. "Actually this is still super wiggy weird for me, but I guess it's worse for you. And I guess it kind of is my fault after all, since it all stems from me sending you guys to explore the Royal Dungeon. And not making things clearer to my parents about the grandchildren issue - I should just have told them we weren't ready yet instead of telling them I hadn't figured out a way for us to have kids." She heard Marceline snort softly at that, most likely in response to the idea that a pair of thousand year-old beings weren't ready for children. "If you want to go think this over for a while then that's fine. I just didn't want to keep her a secret."

"You thought about keeping her a secret?" Marceline asked flatly, though she wasn't entirely surprised by that idea, or the reply.

"Yes," Bubblegum said, shifting uncomfortably. "I thought about it. And I could have done it pretty easily; this is a big castle and there's a buttload of secret passages. But then I thought that wouldn't be fair on her. Or you. Or me."

Lowering her gaze to the little girl on Bubblegum's lap, Marceline looked at her for a few moments, then got to her feet. "I… need to go get my head 'round this Bonnie," she said, actually sounding slightly apologetic. "I mean, right now I keep thinking I'm gonna wake up any second and this will all be some freaky dream. Just gimme some time alone, okay?"

"Okay," Bubblegum agreed, nodding. Things were actually going better than she'd expected, since Marceline hadn't immediately flown out the window the minute she'd found out about her unexpected offspring. Really, her reaction had been much more reasonable than Bubblegum had imagined. The vampire floated into the air, then shrank down into her bat form and flitted over to the open window. Then the princess' gaze snapped downwards as the little girl on her lap squealed in delight, but Bubblegum wasn't fast enough to catch her as she leapt from her knees… and became a tiny, fluffy black bat which frantically paddled at the air with unfamiliar wings.

Bubblegum quickly tried to catch the little creature – carefully, as her current form looked fragile compared to the wolf pup she had been earlier – but missed as the miniature bat managed to rise higher towards the ceiling. Now she was out of the princess' reach, making high-pitched squeaks of glee at her newfound power of flight as she whirled around in shaky circles. However, the little bat quickly began to tire, then dropped like a stone with a peep of dismay.

Before Bubblegum could react, a much larger shape snatched the tiny bat out of the air. Marceline had turned back as she'd heard the little girl squeal and saw her transform, then swooped after her and deftly caught her with her feet as she fell. Spiralling down to Bubblegum, Marceline gently deposited the tiny creature into her outstretched hands, then landed on the princess' shoulder.

"She turns into a bat as well?" the vampire asked curiously, giggling as the little creature propped itself up on its folded wings to squeak at them excitedly.

"Apparently, yes," Bubblegum replied, petting the little creature's head with a careful forefinger. It was barely more than a soot ball with wings, its pink eyes like tiny gems in a face that was dominated by a flat forked nose and large ears like Marceline's. She moved it onto her lap as a precaution in case she returned to her normal form, and the tiny bat immediately began to scale her dress with sharp little wing and foot claws. "Hey! Manners!" Gently unhooking the little creature from the fabric, Bubblegum returned her to her lap.

"Yeah, that just isn't polite," Marceline chuckled from Bubblegum's shoulder. "You just behave yourself little… uhhhh… she has a name, right?"

"Actually no, she doesn't," Bubblegum shook her head, smiling as the little bat tried to climb her hand instead, clinging to her thumb with both wings. "My parents didn't name her because they think names are optional - if you want one then you decide on it yourself. Uhm, kind of a long story. Anyway, she still needs a name. Do you have any suggestions?"

Marceline was quiet for several moments, which made Bubblegum suspect that she was trying to come up with something gruesome just to tease her. She was wrong. "What about Issabell?" The vampire's voice sounded strangely brittle, though she was trying to hide it beneath a casual veneer.

Bubblegum blinked, surprised, and turned to look at the bat perched on her shoulder. It was impossible for her to read Marceline's expression in that form, but there was an odd flicker in the red eyes that were firmly fixed on the little bat that was now dangling by her feet from Bubblegum's fingers. "Why Issabell?" the princess asked, her tone questioning but gentle. "I mean, I like it, but is there a reason…?" She left the sentence hanging as red eyes flickered towards her briefly, then the bat launched itself back into the air. Bubblegum just managed to cup her hands around the tiny bat she was holding before it could try following, though she could hear muffled squeaks as small wings beat at her fingers indignantly.

Returning to her normal form, Marceline sank back down to sit next to Bubblegum once more but didn't look at her, staring down at the hands she'd clasped in her lap instead. "It was my mom's name," she said softly. "And it has 'bel' in it," the vampire added quickly. "Like Bonnibel so it's kinda fitting but if you don't like it…"

"I like it," Bubblegum said firmly. Marceline didn't talk about her mother very often, and suggesting that name for their child spoke volumes about how the vampire felt about the situation they'd found themselves in. "Here, why don't you hold her?" Carefully transferring the tiny bat from her hands to Marceline's, Bubblegum watched as the vampire curled her fingers around the small furry thing that immediately began to investigate her palms with a flat nose, then climbed her index finger. "Be careful, she could turn back to a baby any time," Bubblegum warned, though it struck her that having a small child hanging from one finger was unlikely to hurt Marceline.

The vampire watched the little creature for a few moments, her mouth slowly curving into a smile. "She's cute, huh?" Marceline's voice sounded oddly thick, but Bubblegum pretended not to notice as she nodded.

"She is, yes. I don't know if she can turn into anything else," the princess admitted. "Before you turned into a bat, the only thing I saw her change into was a wolf. Maybe she has to see something before she can turn into it. Though that doesn't really explain how she could turn into a wolf to begin with."

"Well, it's not like she doesn't have some seriously weird genetics," Marceline replied as the little bat yawned, making a tiny peeping sound that became a gurgle as she transformed back into a baby and rolled backwards into Marceline's lap. "Vampire, demon, human, gum… we should probably just be thankful that she has the right number of limbs and eyes."

"Well, at least in whatever shapes she's been in so far anyway," Bubblegum chuckled. "It's early days yet. Uhm…" She hesitated, crossing and uncrossing her feet as she looked at the vampire. "So, uh, do you still need to go get your head around this, or…" Her sentence trailed off suggestively. The princess didn't want to push too hard in case the temperamental vampire took offence, but she needn't have worried.

"Eh, I think I'm good now," Marceline replied with a shrug. "Like you said Bonnie, this is new to both of us. It would be kind of a jerk move just to ditch you with her like some teenage boy who accidentally knocked up his girlfriend."

"Well, technically we're both the teenage boy who accidentally knocked up his girlfriend," Sliding one arm around Marceline's waist, Bubblegum moved closer to her. "Actually that's a terrible analogy because that would make my parents the girlfriend and… yeah, bad mental image. But I'm glad you're here," she added with a smile.

"Hey, it's girls' night after all," Marceline pointed out, shooting the princess a quick grin. "Where else would I be?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Adventure Time belongs to Pendleton Ward/Cartoon Network. Issabell belongs to Kat (krazzy-kat on Tumblr, character blog is izzy-the-shape-shifter and contains adorable art) Thanks to Rinney for proof-reading.

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"Okay fuzzball; let's try this again before Bonnie comes out of the lab." Marceline effortlessly circled the Candy Foyer in bat form, keeping herself aloft with lazy beats of her wings. Technically she didn't need to use them for anything besides steering since she could fly without them, but that set a bad example for Issabell.

The little girl had also shapeshifted into a much smaller bat and was currently being held in Marceline's arms as she squeaked excitedly and fluttered small wings. Unlike the vampire she had no ability to hover, so her flight was dependent on wing power alone. And while Bubblegum had protested that Issabell was too small to learn how to fly and could hurt herself, Marceline didn't hold with that. Crash landings were just part of the learning process. Though it did mean that flying lessons were restricted to whenever the candy princess was busy or absent.

"Right Izzy, you ready?" Gently shifting her grip so that the tiny bat could spread her wings properly, Marceline carefully bounced her up and down a few times first. Her daughter continued to squeak enthusiastically as she flexed her wings to catch the air, and then Marceline threw her up and forward to fly on her own.

For a few moments it seemed to work as Issabell's small wings worked frantically to pull herself higher. But instead of smoothing out into a glide, the little bat continued to struggle against gravity instead and began to drop as she grew tired.

"Woah, that's not how it works!" Marceline quickly reached out to catch her, and steadied her again. "You have to let the air do some of the work or you'll just get exhausted." The vampire knew it was easy enough for her to say that since she didn't have to worry about gravity herself, but she still understood the basic principles. "Now stretch out those wings and this time keep them still, okay?"

The tiny bat squeaked in response, but this time when she spread her wings she didn't move them. Again, Marceline held her out and slowly swung her up and down, letting Issabell feel the air moving against her wing membranes without letting her go. "See? You just want to flap to get some height, and then you glide. Got that?" Issabell peeped in what Marceline hoped was affirmation, wriggling in the vampire's grasp excitedly. "Okay then, on three. One, two, three!"

Once again the little bat flapped her wings wildly to gain height as Marceline tossed her forwards like a ball, then stretched them out wide to try and catch the air currents. For a few brief moments she glided upwards in a smooth, shallow arc but it quickly peaked and turned into a rapid descent. Squeaking in panic, Issabell started to beat her wings frantically to try and slow herself then her fall was halted as Marceline caught her once more.

"That was definitely better Izzy," the vampire told her, stroking the little bat's head fondly. "Maybe we should work on your landing before we do any more flight practice though, you don't need to be scared of falling if you know how to land without hurting yourself. Let's go find a cushion or something before Bonnie…"

"Marceline?" The vampire cursed silently as she heard the candy princess' voice echoing along the corridor. Taking advantage of the larger bat's distraction, Issabell struggled free and started flapping haphazardly towards the door with an excited squeak. Quickly swooping after her, Marceline only just managed to catch her again before the doors at the top of the staircase were pushed open.

Princess Bubblegum stopped in her tracks as she saw the two bats, her eyes narrowing. "I thought we agreed that she was too young for flying lessons?" It wasn't a question, and the princess' voice was sharp and disapproving. "She might hurt herself; she's not a vampire like you."

"Yikes Bonnie, way to jump to conclusions," Marceline replied, doing her best to sound hurt. "I'm the one that's flying, not her. She turned into a bat and took off all by herself; I grabbed her before she could have any accidents. All I'm doing is letting her get used to being in the air, sheesh."

"Oh. I see," the princess replied, her tone softer but still not without an edge of scepticism. "And if she just so happened to get out of your grip and fall then that would be a learning experience, right? Isn't that what you said before?"

Marceline rolled her eyes as she snorted dismissively. "Yeah, and I'd like to see her get out of my-woah!" Choosing that exact moment to wriggle free despite Marceline's attempts to hold her, the little bat dropped like a stone towards the tiled floor. But before the vampire could dive after her daughter, Issabell spread her wings and propelled herself upwards, flying clumsily over to where Bubblegum was standing. The candy princess' mouth had dropped open, she'd been about to shout in alarm when she saw Issabell fall but fell silent in surprise as the tiny bat flapped jerkily towards her.

Cupping her hands, Bubblegum held them out for Issabell to land on, not wanting to try and grab her in case she hurt her. The little girl certainly liked to roughhouse as a wolf pup, but as a bat she looked extremely fragile with her translucent wings and tiny body. She barely weighed anything at all, dropping into Bubblegum's outstretched hands with as much force as a ball of crumpled paper. Looking up at her mother, Issabell squeaked and chirruped, looking extremely pleased with herself as Marceline chuckled softly.

"She's really proud of herself for making it over to you," the vampire explained. As she was still in her own bat form, she could understand the high-pitched sounds Issabell was making. "You see what I mean now, Izz?" Marceline asked as she flitted closer to the candy princess. "You just need to learn how to catch the air right, that was way better than the last few…" Her voice tailed off awkwardly as she realised what she was saying and saw Bubblegum's reproachful glare.

"Just showing her what being in the air was like, huh?" the pink woman asked sarcastically, gently stroking the soft fur between Issabell's ears with her thumb. The little bat seemed to melt into her palms in response, her wings and feet splaying out on either side as if she was sunbathing.

"Uhhhhh… well… at least she's learning pretty well?" Marceline offered hopefully. "And at least it's better this way than her trying to fly by herself when neither of us are around, she could hurt herself just as badly if she decided to try flying while we thought she was asleep in her room. This way she's supervised."

"I guess you've got a point there," Bubblegum admitted reluctantly, her expression softening into a smile as Issabell squeaked sleepily in her hands. "Just… put some cushions down for her to land on or something, okay?"

"Huh. That's pretty freaking obvious now that you mention it," Marceline admitted ruefully. "Guess that's something you don't really think about when floating comes naturally. Looks like she's ready for naptime right now though, all the flapping must have worn her out."

As if in agreement, the tiny bat yawned widely, displaying a pink tongue and four milk-white points. Her bottom fangs had started growing in now, but as yet they were still too small to do anything but nip, even in wolf form. With surprising agility, the little creature scrambled along Bubblegum's arm and latched small claws into the fabric of her dress. While flying in this form was still difficult for her, climbing was relatively simple, and she clambered upwards with as much ease as she'd crawled across the candy princess's arm.

"Izzy, where are you- Hey!" Bubblegum exclaimed in protest as the little bat reached her shoulder and burrowed into her hair as if it was a blanket. For a moment Issabell vanished completely into the gummy substance and was only a wriggling lump. Once she had settled into a comfortable, upside-down position she poked her head back out and squeaked drowsily. "Marceline, she's in my hair!" the candy princess wailed, her hands automatically moving to tug Issabell out of the nest she'd made only to freeze in consternation as Bubblegum realised that might hurt her. "Make her come out… And stop laughing!"

The larger bat was rolling over and over in the air as Marceline laughed helplessly at the situation and the look on Bubblegum's face. Pulling herself upright, the vampire grinned at her girlfriend mischievously. "Don't think I can do that, Bon," she replied breezily. "She's not going to come out if she's sleepy, and if I pull her out I might hurt the little squirt. Besides, it's adorable. Nobody's going to notice."

"Until she changes back," Bubblegum snapped with a glare. "You know fine well that she sometimes changes form in her sleep, what happens if she turns back into a baby or a wolf pup while she's stuck in my hair?"

In deference to Bubblegum's glower, Marceline had covered her mouth with both hands to stifle her giggles. It worked to an extent, but her response shook slightly as she tried her hardest to keep a straight face. "Well, if that happens it'll just be really, really, really funny." Marceline had to snort back a chuckle as she spoke, trying to disguise it as a sneeze. From the icy look on the candy princess' face, it was obvious that she hadn't been fooled. "Oh come on, Bon, she probably likes your hair because it reminds her of your parents. She doesn't go to sleep that easily in her crib, does she?"

Bubblegum's expression twisted wryly at the thought, bedtime for Issabell usually involved having to chase her down first followed by getting her into the crib. And then the most difficult task of all - keeping her there. "I guess you've got a point there," she admitted grudgingly. "Maybe I should replace her mattress with gum. She might like that better."

Returning to her normal form, Marceline stretched and rubbed at her spine. "Ugh, actually using wings to fly is way more effort than floating," she grumbled. "Floating doesn't make me stiff afterwards."

"Well, since I don't want to do anything too scientific with Izzy in my hair, I suppose I could give you a back massage," Bubblegum offered, carefully rearranging her gummy locks to make sure the little bat wouldn't fall out. "We can go back to the bedroom for now." The princess sighed as Marceline wiggled her eyebrows with a suggestive grin.

"Back massage, huh? Back to the bedroom? Riiiiiiiight…" the vampire sniggered, erupting into outright laughter as Bubblegum swatted her across the arm.

"We're not doing THAT while Izzy's in my hair either," Bubblegum said, her tone somewhere between exasperation and reproof. "That would be so unbelievably distasteful. Hey!" The princess yelped in protest as Marceline wrapped both arms around her waist and pulled her close then sprouted a pair of huge batlike wings from her shoulders which she used to shroud them both in a leathery, webbed cocoon.

"There," Marceline said into the sudden gloom, the space between the two women now dim and warm and intimate. "Now she won't see anything even if she does wake up, will she? Neither will anyone else come to think of it, we don't even have to go back to the bedroom any more…"

Despite Bubblegum's best efforts, her look of stern disapproval cracked into a fond smile. "You're terrible Marcy, you know that?" she asked, leaning forwards into the other woman to kiss her lightly on the lips. "But I'm putting Izzy to bed first any- augh!" The princess' head was suddenly wrenched downwards and to the side as the tiny bat in her hair became a baby girl, throwing her off-balance. Feeling herself starting to fall, Bubblegum launched herself sideways into Marceline to stop herself from landing on Issabell.

Since the vampire already had her arms around the candy princess she didn't need to try and catch her and simply let herself topple backwards, stopping a few inches from the floor and hovering above it with Bubblegum lying across her. Both of the pink woman's arms were stretched out behind herself to stop the large bulge in her hair from hitting the ground, curved around her back in what looked like a clumsy imitation of a mother swan.

Issabell on the other hand was still fast asleep, comfortably snuggled in gummy hair and now sucking her thumb.

"Nice catch, Marceline," Bubblegum said breathlessly. She carefully shifted the bulk of her hair over her shoulder and around to her chest so she could support Issabell's weight with her arms instead of her hair, not convinced that the tensile strength of the gum it was made from was enough to hold a small child.

"Likewise," Marceline replied, pushing Bubblegum back to her feet. "And I guess I was right – that was really, really funny," she added with a chuckle.

"You butt," the princess sighed, but she smiled all the same.


End file.
